Hailing from a Wicklow village that she described as being in “the back arse of nowhere”, Sarah arrived at the First Dates restaurant hoping to avoid the heartbreak of a situationship and meet someone interested in settling down.
Explaining how she wouldn’t mind a farmer or a GAA lad, as she’d love to be “like a WAG supporting on the sidelines”, Sarah confided in barman Neil Kenna as she waited for her date, saying: “I would kind of like a bit of a culchie – an agri spec kind of man.”
Arriving shortly thereafter was Peter, also 22, a sheep and cattle farmer who specialises in potatoes, plays football and hurling and is a die-hard Donegal GAA man.
After embracing at the bar, Peter said he had travelled from the O’Donnell County, with Sarah – who “likes taking the piss out of people” – poking fun at Donegal’s loss in the 2025 All-Ireland Football final, saying: “That’s kind of unfortunate for you – football-wise?”
Sitting down to eat, talk turned to family, with Peter explaining that he is an only child and has to do all the chores and farm work, in between matches and training, before revealing that he comes from a village called Muff, leaving Sarah astonished and repeatedly echoing the town’s name in disbelief.
Excusing herself to visit the bathroom before their main courses arrived, Sarah took a phone call, telling the caller: “It’s actually going really well. He’s a farmer, yeah. And he has his own farm and all!”
As the conversation flowed back at the table, Sarah disclosed that her grandfather was a farmer, but that the calling wasn’t carried on by her father.
“I wouldn’t live on a farm or anything. I wouldn’t mind it, though, being a farmer’s wife,” she said with a glint in her eye.
Discussing his recent trip to Rome, Peter talked about the Trevi Fountain tradition, which involves throwing a coin with the right hand over your left shoulder, with one coin ensuring a return to Rome, two coins meaning love, and three coins guaranteeing marriage.
“Maybe we’ll go back together,” Sarah proposed, with Peter, whose mother is Scottish, inviting his date to experience the Highlands.
As the date ended, Peter and Sarah were asked if they would like to see each other again romantically, with both giving an emphatic yes.
“Once I came in, her looks were just class. Her bubbly personality too,” Peter said.
“I’d take you up to a championship match. I can imagine you on the sideline cheering me on!”
Sarah added: “I thought he ticked all the boxes. I might be up in Donegal shearing sheep yet – you never know!”
Distance proved to be no match for Sarah and Peter’s magnetism, as they met up for an inter-county second date.